Tasmania’s poppy crop to increase by 40 per cent

Tasmania’s poppy crop will expand by more than 40 per cent on last season in 2025-26, boosted by higher prices and new grower incentives. See how the season is shaping up.

Tasmania’s poppy crop will expand to more than 9000 hectares in 2025-26, driven by higher prices and new grower incentives.

The planned increase represents a 40.6 per cent rise on the previous crop, which spanned 6400ha across the state’s 14 growing regions.

Extractas Bioscience field operations manager Noel Beven of Westbury in the north of Tasmania said growers would start planting next month and continue until October.

“We have had up to 35mm of rain in the state in the past week and that will set things up nicely,” he said.

Tasmanian growers will increase the area planted to poppies by 40 per cent this season. Picture: Peter Mathew

The North West Coast growing regions benefited the most from the rain, and smaller amounts of 15mm fell in the midlands.

Mr Beven said prices had increased and there were financial incentives for growers who used raised beds to mitigate any waterlogging problems.

In December last year, up to 250mm of rain fell in Tasmania, causing damage to the 2024-25 crop. And now growers are being encouraged to reduce the risk of further damage.

In addition to planning a larger crop, Extractas Bioscence has also just celebrated 50 years of operations in Tasmania.

Mr Bevan said existing growers were asked to increase their planting area, and new farmers were also entering the industry this year.

Growers were being offered $2000 per hectare to grow poppies, as well as a $200 per hectare payment for farmers who installed raised beds.

Tasmanian Poppy Growers Association president and Sisters Creek, Tasmania grower Michael Nichols.

Sisters Creek poppy grower and Poppy Growers Tasmania president Michael Nichols said there was a price increase of 4 per cent for growers.

“I think people will be confident to look at planting a larger area,” he said.

Mr Nichols said Tasmanian farmers grow both irrigated and dryland poppies, but 95 per cent of the crop was irrigated.

He said it was interesting to note the vast differences between the climatic conditions in the growing areas.

“We have growers with 1400mm of annual rainfall down to 400mm of average annual rainfall,” he said.

Poppies grown in Tasmania are used for pharmaceutical purposes and the key alkaloids are thebaine, oripavine and codeine.